'In spite of it,' he agreed. 'The fact is, that mule-train was conducted into Alessandria by myself.' And he sat down in the silence that followed.
'Do you say that you've been into Alessandria?'
'Into the very citadel. I had breakfast with the squat Lord of Lodi.'
'Will you explain yourself?' cried Facino.
Bellarion did so.
CHAPTER XV
THE CAMISADE
The sequel you already guess, and its telling need not keep us long.
That night Vignate and six hundred men, wearing their shirts over their armour, rode into as pretty an ambush about the village of Pavone as is to be found in the history of such operations. It was a clear night, and, although there was no moon, there was just light enough from the starflecked sky to make it ideal, from the point of view of either party, for the business in hand.
There was some rough fighting for perhaps a half-hour, and a good deal of blood was shed, for Vignate's men, infuriated at finding themselves trapped, fought viciously and invited hard knocks in return.